Sept. 14, 2017- Fairfax County is celebrating Try Transit Week Sep. 18-22, 2017, and Car Free Day Sept. 22, 2017, by encouraging residents to go car free for a day and try an alternative to drive-alone commuting. This year, there are three promotions to encourage commuters to try an alternative way to work:

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is a sponsoring a week-long social media contest with prizes every day. Registrants of Car Free Day will receive a special buy-one-get-one offer from Chipotle and the chance to win other prizes. Winners from different jurisdictions will be selected in Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation's contest, with a grand prize winner winning their commute for a year! With the benefits of potential commuting cost savings, increased physical exercise, fewer cars on the road and a cleaner environment, everyone is invited to try a new way to get to work.

Try Transit, Post About It and Enter to Win a FREE $50 SmarTrip Card!

If you live or work in Fairfax County, celebrate the Try Transit Week with us by liking Fairfax County Transportation on Facebook (@fairfaxconnector) or by following us on Twitter @ffxconnector. Then, when you post on our page or tweet to us according to the contest rules below during Try Transit Week (Monday, Sept. 18 - Friday, Sept. 22, 2017), you’ll be automatically entered into a contest!

What You Can Win:

• The daily winner will receive a $50 SmarTrip card.
• The Grand Prize winner will receive two (2) $50 SmarTrip cards.

How to Enter:

• Post a photo of yourself “trying transit” (local bus service is available on Fairfax Connector, TAGS, CUE, Metrobus and REX, and rail service on Metrorail, Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Amtrak, and you can check out all of our bike routes online), and a photo of your favorite view along the ride. Please include the route information in your post if taking bus or rail.
• Include in your post why you’re trying transit; and/or what you like most about public transportation.
• Use hashtag #TryTransitFFX.

Key Things to Remember:

• Please remember to keep all posts and pictures appropriate. If your post is deemed inappropriate, it will be removed.
• We’d love to feature you, your quote, or your photo on our website or in our outreach materials, so please know your post may be retweeted, shared or used for FCDOT marketing collateral.
• Don’t forget to add #TryTransitFFX in your post.

FCDOT will draw a winner each day from the previous day’s entries. We will contact you through whichever site you submitted your post and pictures. The grand prize winner will be picked at the end of the contest from all of the entries. You can only win once as a daily winner, but even daily winners will be entered into the grand prize drawing.

Try Transit and Take the Pledge to Win!

Residents who pledge to try transit Sept. 18-22 can also enter to win great prizes by visiting the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s Try Transit Week website at www.trytransitweek.org. One (1) GRAND PRIZE winner will receive bus or other transit passes equivalent to one year of transit service to and from work and a pair of round-trip tickets on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional.

Go Car Free on Friday, Sept. 22

Fairfax County also is supporting Commuter Connections’ Car Free Day on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Commuters in the Washington metropolitan area can take the pledge to go car free (or even car-lite!), earn a buy-one-get-one-free offer from Chipotle and be automatically entered for even more prizes. Transit, ridesharing, bicycling, walking - even telecommuting - all count on Car Free Day.

From Rail to Bus to Bike – There Are Many Options to Try!

Did you know that on an average weekday, over 26% of Fairfax County residents aged 16 and older commute to work by a method other than driving alone? To join fellow commuters who have chosen to leave their cars at home, check out these great options for going car free:

• Local bus service is available on Fairfax Connector, TAGS, CUE, Metrobus and REX, and rail service on Metrorail, Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Amtrak. 
• Carpooling and vanpooling are other alternatives to drive-alone commuting that can reduce the stress of rush-hour driving and provide a faster trip by using High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-95/I-395, I-495, I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road. There are over 40 Park and Ride facilities in Fairfax County where commuters can meet their carpools or vanpools, and most offer free parking.
• To go completely car free, commuters can try bicycling or walking. Fairfax County has a vast trail system and continues to build on-road bike lanes throughout the county. It's also easy to bike and ride in Fairfax County, because all Fairfax Connector buses are equipped with bike racks.
• Programs such as the Guaranteed Ride Home program make it easier for commuters to leave their cars at home and try transit or ridesharing because it provides a free taxi ride home in case an emergency occurs during the day. 
• Many employers offer fare subsidies such as Metro's SmartBenefits to employees who take transit or ride in vanpools. Take advantage of the SmartBenefits Plus 50 program and you may qualify for a free $50 SmarTrip card!  Some employers offer premium or reserved parking spaces for carpools and vanpools. Many employers also offer telework programs that allow eligible employees to work from home once or twice a week.

Get Out of Your Car and Enjoy the Benefits

Fairfax County salutes commuters who regularly take transit, share a ride, or use another alternative to go to work each day, because traffic would be much worse if they decided to drive alone. Conversely, traffic would be much improved if more commuters opted to go car free even one day a week! By reducing the number of single-occupant vehicles on the road - or getting more people in fewer vehicles - commuters can enjoy less traffic while improving air quality and saving money on fuel, maintenance and parking expenses.

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